Herald Blogs

Crossing the Twitter and Facebook streams with new application

A few weeks back, Niala and I cautioned against putting Twitter posts automatically on your Facebook status -- aka: Don't cross the streams. We had many reasons why we don't like it, including how it's just messy to have Twitter code (@s and #s) in a Facebook status.

Well a new application is out that lets you choose which tweets you want to share with Facebook, instead of having them all go out. It's called Selective Twitter Status, and by just typing #fb at the end of your tweet, you are telling it to also share with your Facebook community.

I haven't signed up to use it, but I'm a big fan of the concept. It solves almost all the issues I have with crossing the streams... that is, if you use it right. I still rather post separately, since I believe in the old-school ways of starting my Facebook status messages with a verb, and I never do that on Twitter.

Has anyone out there used it and liked it?

[UPDATE: I gave it a quick test and what's nice is that the "#fb" you type in Twitter doesn't show up on Facebook. But I'm still a Facebook status purist and like my status messages in third-person starting with a verb. Maybe someday I'll give up that fight.]

Thanks Seth. I have heard of that, but I also read that you can get your Facebook friend's status messages delivered to Tweetdeck. Which makes me wonder... can you retweet a friend's Facebook message to the Twitterverse? Seems that could be a violation of their privacy if they set their status messages to only be seen by certain friends.